1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conversion of a process flow, more specifically, to converting a process flow describing manufacturing specifications to a process flow describing manufacturing operation procedures and system control procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device is generally manufactured by controlling an enormous amount of information including manufacturing apparatuses used in production facilities, operation procedures for manufacturing processes, and the like. Production of semiconductor device is controlled by creating a process flow of the production facilities based on information of the manufacturing apparatuses and the operation procedures. The process flow includes specific information of the production facilities, such as the manufacturing apparatuses to be used, and the operation procedures. When the production of the semiconductor device is transferred to other production facilities, it is necessary to modify the process flow each time in accordance with manufacturing apparatuses to be used in and operation procedures for the other production facilities. Since the volume modification of the process flow is enormous, another process flow is created in practice. On the contrary, there is also a method for transferring a process flow by use of process flow descriptions which are independent on the production facilities.
When using the process flow which is independent of the production facilities, specific information of the respective production facilities such as manufacturing apparatuses to be used in respective processes, and operation procedures used therein, is required. The amount of work for rewriting the process flow which is independent of the production facilities to a specific process flow for the respective production facilities is not different from creating another process flow specific to the respective production facilities. Therefore, efficiency in transferring a process flow is not improved.
Moreover, the information of the manufacturing apparatuses to be used, the operation procedures, and the like is specific information for handling the respective processes. The specific information of the production facilities is easily affected by, for example, problems with the manufacturing apparatuses. Accordingly, the process flow must be modified each time a problem occurs in a manufacturing apparatus.